LED streetlights contribute to insect population declines: study

14 Sept 13:01 Key points summarised by AI

A new study in southern England reveals that streetlights, especially white LED lights, significantly reduce insect populations, with moth caterpillars showing a 47% decline in hedgerows and 37% in grassy areas.
Researchers believe the decline is primarily due to female insects avoiding laying eggs in lit areas, alongside disrupted feeding behaviors, causing caterpillars to grow heavier as they may rush development.
The negative impact is most pronounced with energy-efficient LED lamps compared to older, yellow-orange high-pressure sodium (HPS) or low-pressure sodium (LPS) lamps.
While street lighting is a localized factor, these reductions have cascading ecological consequences, diminishing food sources for birds and bats.
Accessible solutions include applying filters to change lamp color or adding shields to direct light only onto roads, thereby protecting insect habitats.

Uthenthawai students and alumni declare truce with Pathumwan rivals

Yesterday 20:34 Key points summarised by AI

Uthenthawai students and alumni have pledged to cease violent clashes with Pathumwan Institute rivals, coinciding with their campus's reopening after a 90-day closure.
The Minister of Higher Education is mediating the long-running conflict, while the campus closure has significantly disrupted in-person classes and laboratory work for over 1,000 students.
Uthenthawai resists relocation from its current site, citing a historical land grant from King Rama VI, despite Chulalongkorn University's plans to reclaim the land for an educational hub.
Concerns are mounting over the legality of the campus closure, its detrimental impact on uninvolved students, and the potential commercial development of the land, which critics argue contradicts the late King Rama VI's intentions.